Autism in the Golden Era

[totallyfrozen]

Ha. So then it looks like, as of '41, the term was used, but only by some doctors, to describe a symptom (as they thought) of schizophrenia. Which fits with my character's background. His mother and brother are both worried that, if no one is able to care for him, he'll wind up in an asylum somewhere.

Well, the term came into use in the decade of the 1940's. Whether that means the year 1940 as opposed to the year 1946 is not clear to me at this point (since I haven't researched it). So it might be that the term was not yet used in '41. It may have been, but If so it would have been heard only among the top researchers and their associates. So then, I think to keep the story more plausible, the psychiatrist would need to be a "big city" (or big university) doctor and not one practicing in a rural or smaller town.


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[Benzadmiral]

Well, the term came into use in the decade of the 1940's. Whether that means the year 1940 as opposed to the year 1946 is not clear to me at this point (since I haven't researched it). So it might be that the term was not yet used in '41. It may have been, but If so it would have been heard only among the top researchers and their associates. So then, I think to keep the story more plausible, the psychiatrist would need to be a "big city" (or big university) doctor and not one practicing in a rural or smaller town.


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I suppose you're right. My "artistic" joke on page 1, indicating that the character saying it doesn't know the word "autistic" but the doctor does, is probably out. Well, if I do my job right in showing the autistic character's behavior, I'd guess a modern reader will realize what's going on.